My Brother and I
by Da.Hybrid.Queen
Summary: Lenoriel is Legolas' twin sister in these one-shots. In every story it will be implied that they are talking about each other, or another character is talking about them. Each POV will be named at the beginning of each chapter. Lenoriel is my OC and you cannot use her unless you have my permission.
1. Warrior's Anthem

His movements were swift, calculated, each with its own purpose. When he fought, he fought hard, not giving up or stopping until his opponent was on hands and knees, begging for mercy- when he sparred with some unfortunate elf that, for the day, would become his target of hostility,-even though they knew they would get none. In battle the deaths of his enemies were swift too, whether it is out of pity or some other means, he never let the enemy suffer. He ended them almost as quickly as the fighting began. I myself was well educated in the use of a bow and arrow, but not to his talent. He had mastered and excelled in his craft, while I preferred healing to fighting. Our father, Thranduil, made it clear however that I would also learn archery. He made sure we knew how to protect ourselves and each other.

On days such as this when the sun was still low, but just high enough that it wasn't so hot, he would wake early to practice. Starting from dawn until dusk he would train, either until he collapsed, or until someone (me), was crazy enough to interrupt his session and force him to retire to his room for the night. Those were the times I feared for him; when after being victorious in battle he would come home with a haunted look in his eyes, scarred from the events that had unfolded, from the lives that had been ended, by his hand or the enemy's. However, some days were better. Some days he would actually speak with me, about the war, or just about whatever he wanted, no matter how ridiculous. It made no difference to me, as long as he was talking. I somewhat understood the horrors he had seen, for in my craft as head healer too many elves would come home from their patrol wounded. Many I was able to save, but some had injuries that just couldn't be recovered from.

But, on days such as today, his instincts would outweigh reason. He couldn't walk throughout the halls of his own home without carrying a dagger, hidden in his boot, for fear of being attacked. I could see in his eyes, the uneasiness and fear of what could be waiting for him. Too many a time had there been nights where sleep just wouldn't come to him and he would wander the halls. An unfortunate elleth would be cleaning the kitchens, ready to retire to her own quarters, only to be mistaken for an intruder. He acted swiftly and more often than not that dagger would be pressed against her throat before she even had time to register what happened. I would never be there to witness the event personally, but in the mornings I would always hear the whispers amongst the guards and the cooks. Eventually through this chatter I learned the name of the girl, Pan. I sought her out one night, after everyone was in their respective quarters asleep, I knew that she would be in the kitchen. "He didn't mean it", she had said. "I don't think he was seeing me as myself, t'was as if he was looking through me". That was when I knew a conversation needed to be had.

I was wandering the gardens while the sun was setting before me, pondering how I would confront him. I didn't however; expect to find him sitting under the shade of a tall oak tree that grew in the garden's heart. As I walked closer I noticed his eyes were closed and his head was tilted back to rest against the tree. His appearance was disheveled, the intricate braids in his hair were coming unraveled on both sides, his clothes torn and dirty, and his face looked ashen. As usual, he had worked himself to the point of collapse. He wasn't responding to my presence. Does he even know I'm here? I reached out to touch him, but my actions were halted as he swung out his right arm, that same dagger, clutched tight in his fist. I stopped the blow, the dagger right in front of my face, my hand gripping his wrist tightly. His eyes were wild and fearful, but upon recognition he visibly relaxed, his grip on the knife loosening enough to where I could remove it from his hand. As I did so, I noticed his hands trembling slightly. He repetitively flexed his fingers, needing something to hold on to, so I offered him my hand, to which he graciously accepted.

We sat together under the oak tree, me offering my presence as comfort, knowing that at the moment speaking wasn't in his interest. When the sun had finally set and the stars were in view, I knew we should return to our rooms for the night. I rose from my seat on the soft grass, motioning for him to do the same. He shakily rose to his feet, almost falling back down if I hadn't grabbed him. I slung his arm across my shoulders, wrapping my other around his torso, and began the slow journey back to his room. He leaned heavily on me for support, but by the Valar we somehow made it to his room. I helped him remove his gear and change into something more comfortable. As I handed him his leggings he raised an eyebrow at me, non-verbally hinting that he was capable of doing that himself. I got the hint and made to leave the room.

"Lenoriel?" he said, I stopped short of the door, turning to face him. His eyes held a certain vulnerability that made my heart ache. "Will you stay…please?" he asked. He looked exhausted and utterly drained of life; his normally vibrant blue eyes, a color we shared, were now a lifeless grey.

"Of course" I said, knowing he didn't want to be alone. The moonlight slipped in through the curtains, illuminating the left half of his room. The light reflected off of his face and made his hair appear an almost silver. His eyes were distant, and by the way his eyebrows were furrowed I knew he was thinking of something.

"The mind can be a dangerous place you know. Keeping things inside will do you no good", I said softly.

"I wish not to burden you with my thoughts for they are not pleasant" he said lowly. I frowned, knowing this was the reason he hadn't come to me sooner. We told each other everything, through our time as elflings until now. We had no secrets to which the other was not aware.

"You will never be a burden" I said finally. With that reassurance he began his tale at Helm's Deep, where he fought alongside Gimli and Aragorn. He told of his despair at the sight of the young and the old preparing to go into battle, knowing that several would not be returning. Then he spoke of his feelings toward Aragorn's supposed death, recalling how he believed he had lost a brother, how he got no sleep in the days that followed up until his return. He recalled Haldir's death and the bodies of his kin, lying dead amongst the wall and how they had come to their aid to keep the alliance they had with men.

Eventually he started to succumb to his exhaustion, struggling to stay awake. I gently pushed him back to lie on the bed, insisting that he needed his rest and that he could tell me his story in the morning if he was rested enough. He fell asleep quickly enough, me staying with him. I was lost in my own thoughts, recalling all he had told me of the war. I was left to ponder how warriors not only sacrificed their physical being to war, but their mental being as well. I knew Legolas would get better, but I also knew it would take time.

With time Legolas did get better. He would no longer deeply immerse himself in training for days on end. He wouldn't skip meals in favor of staying locked in his room, to become a prisoner of his own mind. Yes, there were times where I would hear his screams through the walls that separated our rooms, I simply opened his bedroom door and we would talk until the both of us fell asleep.


	2. The Warrior Queen

**Okay so I can't be the only one who noticed how in The Hobbit there is no queen of Mirkwood, it's only Legolas and Thranduil. I'm not entirely sure if the books capitalized on his mother or not, but I'm pretty sure it didn't. So, this story is written on the assumption that she was killed while they (Legolas and Lenoriel) were young. I'm an awful person, but I just love hurt/comfort fics.**

Lenoriel POVxx

I remember having to stay hidden, in a cave below the city with all of the other mothers and children. I remember our father had gone to fight, how his armor reflected what little light there was. I remember how he kissed my forehead and told me to behave and stay safe, that he would return very soon. He knelt next to Legolas, dwarfing him in size, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He told him to behave as well, and to do as Mother instructed, and to keep me safe. I remember pouting at him, proudly proclaiming that I was no longer a babe, that I could protect myself. Father was not cross with me; in fact he was rather amused. We were young then, I didn't yet grasp the severity of the situation. Legolas however, was almost emotionless. I knew he was afraid by the way he clenched his fingers into fists to stop them from shaking. He had an idea of what was happening, but stayed strong none the less.

We were in that cave for hours. Every now and then the ground would shake from a force we could not see, and dirt would shower us from the ceiling. Children were crying, their mothers trying to no avail to keep them quiet. Our mother had gotten up a few minutes ago, to stand with the guards by the door, her sword drawn and gleaming. She wasn't like the other mothers. When she and Father told us stories about great battles past, he always called her "The Warrior Queen", and Legolas and I would laugh endlessly, trying to picture our mother with a sword. But now it was a reality…

I remember her strolling over to us, the picture of grace and confidence despite the chaos going on all around us. The shouts of the guards calling her over broke the silence. She signaled she would come and turned back to us, placing a chaste kiss on both of our foreheads. She unsheathed a dagger; its handle encrusted with the design of leaves encircling each other, and gave it to Legolas. He accepted it with uncertainty, confusion written across his features. He didn't get to question her though, as a lady in waiting came and grabbed both of our wrists, dragging us away. Mother waved to us as we disappeared further down the tunnel, us looking back the whole time, long enough to see the doors explode inwards, and these disgusting creatures come running inside.

That was the last we saw of her as we rounded the corner…She knew she wouldn't be coming back. She sacrificed herself along with those guards to give us enough time to flee.

In the aftermath of the battle, there was smoke, and lots of it. Wives were crying, for their husbands who did not return, and children were crying for the memories of the previous night still haunted their minds. We were still with the elleth from last night. She was in charge of watching us until she received word from Thranduil. She didn't have to wait long as he came into the room, his pace quick and meaningful, and as he saw us I ran to him. He wrapped his arms around me tight. Legolas however, was frozen to his spot, staring off into space, still clutching the dagger tight as if his life depended on it.

Eventually we got him to somewhat snap out of his trance, but not without some difficulty. By the look in Father's eyes he was concerned and so was I. He instructed me to walk him to his room, and to not let him out of my sight. Father would have done it himself, but being King required him to oversee some things and attend meetings before he could even get the luxury of grieving his own wife. I was holding Legolas' hand as I had to nearly drag him down the halls until we reached his room. As soon as his door was shut he crumbled to the floor, knees drawn to his chest as violent sobs wracked his body. I remember sinking down next to him. I remember hugging him as eventually, I too, started crying. That dagger still had yet to leave his hand…

Eventually after all was said and done within the kingdom, father had come into the room, nearly tripping over us in the process. Seeing us crying, he sat down in between us both, drying both of our tears. We eventually fell asleep against him, but not before he told us a story.

The day of her funeral was even harder. Everyone wore black as each pyre was lit and fresh tears were running down our faces again. We stood next to Father, hand in hand as we watched Mother's pyre burn. That night as we walked back to our rooms, Father came with us. He tucked us into bed, and told us a story we had heard too many times. But this time it held new meaning, it was our personal way of remembering her.

The Warrior Queen…


	3. My Hero

When Mother died, and as Legolas and I grew older, Father started to pull away from us, as if he was never there to begin with. It was never the King and his children anymore; it was always Legolas and I or Thranduil. We didn't see much of him anymore, and when we did see him it was always awkward. I hated that. I had to accept the fact that things were no longer how they used to be and I had to grow up. I may not have had the Father that I used to, but at least I could say I had one. But to me, I might as well not.

After we had accepted the fact that our Father was no longer what he used to be, that was when the bond between Legolas and I grew. We only had each other and that was how it had been since Mother passed. We looked out for each other, and no matter how hard I insisted I could take care of myself, it never stopped Legolas from treating me like a child. He always told me that it was because I was still his younger sister and that it was his job, but I knew it was because he was afraid of losing someone else so important in his life. If I was gone then he would be alone. While Thranduil would still be there, it wouldn't be the same because of how detached Father had gotten with us.

I had lost count of how many times Legolas had gotten hurt because he was protecting me. But there was one time that he couldn't do anything. One time that I'm sure still haunts him to this day. I had willingly given myself up to save a child who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Orcs were attacking, and one just so happened to grab an elfling that had gotten separated from the rest. For some reason the orcs were after me, to use as a bargaining chip in whatever scheme their master had, and it was either I go with them or the child would die. The decision was clear to me; I didn't waste time or hesitate to go. Legolas was outraged and heartbroken all at the same time as he watched as I was lead off.

I had spent two days with those creatures while I was waiting to be rescued. They only gave me moldy bread to eat with no water. I picked around the moldy bits as best I could, but I had to eat some parts. I prayed I wouldn't get sick. I was so delirious from dehydration that I was barely conscious when they came for me. I had awoken days later, Legolas apologizing over and over for not coming sooner. In my opinion they came sooner than expected, but I didn't dare voice it out loud. He felt there was something more he could've done, and I made sure he knew that there wasn't. Eventually he agreed, but I knew he still felt guilty. On the brighter side of things, I got to see the elfling that I saved. A young she-elf, that had the greenest eyes one could imagine. She thoroughly embarrassed Legolas by asking if he loved me. His cheeks were a lovely shade or red when he answered 'yes'.

We will always be there for one another; it's the job of siblings to look after each other. Even though Legolas over does it on many occasions I know it's because he loves me. I always tell myself that one day I'll return the favor, and come to his rescue when he needs it, because we all need to be rescued every once in a while. He always says that it won't be necessary but I beg to differ. Whether he wants me to or not, no matter the danger, I'll be returning the favor.


	4. Fallen King

The sky was downcast and grey. There were no sounds to be heard no matter how hard one strained. It seemed as if what little light Mirkwood had had been depleted, only to be replaced by a shadow. You couldn't see the shadow, but it was definitely there and seemed to follow you day and night. It dragged everyone down to their lowest points and made an inescapable trench of sadness so deep, that it seemed as if even the very forest itself was void of life. No one saw this day coming. No one was prepared for another tragedy amongst the royal family.

We weren't prepared, and neither was Legolas, who was now forced to take on the burdens that came with the crown. He didn't wear it; he couldn't fathom the idea of wearing something that had been so personal and so deeply associated with Thranduil. So it sat in the throne room, on a pedestal in the center of the room directly in front of the throne as a memorial to the deceased king. Elrond and his children attended the funeral, including Aragorn who wanted to support his close friend. Gimli was in attendance, not paying any heed to the scornful glances that were thrown his way from the elves that still showed hatred toward any and all dwarves. He too wanted to pay his respects to us. It was no secret Gimli disliked the Elven king, for the imprisonment of his father Gloin, but he still came as a friend of Legolas, or should I say King Legolas.

Our father's sudden death came as a tremendous blow to both of us. We were now officially alone, the only family we had left being each other. Legolas accepted his new role without hesitation and was already trying to salvage what was left of our broken kingdom. For the first few days after the funeral it seemed as if he was losing his grip on reality, often staring into space, lost in his own thoughts. Then came coronation day, and that was almost harder than the funeral. It was as if the realization that Thranduil really was gone finally registered. With the new King in place came the tremendous amount of work that needed to be done. Paperwork needed to be filled, documents needed signing, and there were several meetings to attend, all of this just a week after Thranduil's death. Legolas would so deeply immerse himself he would forget to eat, and I would bring him his meals. Some days I doubt he even ate at all, and it seemed he wasn't sleeping much either, if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to go by.

It was that time of night where I brought Legolas his dinner. I checked his study, where he preferred to do his work, but was shocked to find him not there. His room was the second place I checked and this time I was successful when I opened his door to find him on the balcony. He was offered Thranduil's room but that was just too much. Below the balcony was the garden, where we often just sat and talked. I placed the tray of food on a table beside his bed, and stood next to him. He was staring into the star-filled sky, almost mesmerized by them.

"You should eat something" I said quietly.

"I'm not hungry" It took him so long to answer me that I thought he didn't hear me. I had counted on him to say that, so instead of bringing up a large meal, I brought a fruit platter. His eyes widened slightly, since I'm assuming that wasn't what he was expecting. It was a medium sized bowl.

"Eat at least half and I'll leave you alone about it" I reasoned, producing a fork. He sighed taking the bowl from my hands. I smiled triumphantly while he simply rolled his eyes. This was a normal night for us, me forcing him to eat something before bed while he made a fuss about it. This night he had given in a lot easier than expected. Instead of eating half, I watched as he ate the whole bowl. His appetite was clearly there, but he insisted he wasn't hungry.

"So much for being 'not hungry'" I mumbled.

"I didn't think I was" he said simply. We fell into a short silence, before he finally spoke.

"I don't think I can do this" he said slowly, the exhaustion creeping into his voice. I didn't have to ask what he meant.

"Yes you can" I encouraged softly. His eyes were watery with unshed tears.

"It's all just too much. There are so many decisions that have to be made and I don't think I can do it" he said, the tears falling silently.

"Then I'll help you, and whatever you decide I'll stand by you" I said, taking his hand and giving it a small squeeze. He smiled, it was small but it was still there.

"Where would I be without you" he said.

"In the healing ward, being treated for malnourishment and exhaustion" I said lightly. "Come on, to bed with you" I said pulling him to his feet.

"Will you stay, please?" he asked.

"Of course" I said. The familiar task of sleeping in each other's rooms was still something we shared. I could tell that he needed my company now more than ever and vice versa. I had cried myself dry days ago, but there were still more to come, from me and him. As I had said I helped Legolas with paperwork, to lighten the load. I was responsible for reading over patrol reports and organizing his desk, since everything appeared to be one giant mess. I also made suggestions on some of the more difficult topics of the affairs of everyone throughout the kingdom. The kingdom was back in working order and everything was back to the way it was, minus Thranduil of course. Some days it was hard to think, let alone run a kingdom, but together we got through it. We would always have each other.


End file.
